John Walsh (filmmaker)
John Walsh | |
---|---|
![]() Walsh at BAFTA Film Awards | |
Born | London, England |
Nationality | British, Irish |
Education | London Film School[1] |
Occupation | Film Director Screenwriter Film Producer |
Notable work | Monarch ToryBoy The Movie Headhunting The Homeless |
Website | www |
John Walsh is a filmmaker and author. He is the founder of the film company Walsh Bros. Ltd.[2] His film work on subjects such as social mobility and social justice have received two BAFTA nominations.
Early life and education[edit]
A filmmaker from a young age, Walsh had his first super-8 camera by the age of ten.[3] At the age of 18 he was the youngest student accepted to the London Film School in 1989[4] where his documentary work got him noticed with his film on stop-motion animation filmmaker Ray Harryhausen. Walsh graduated from the London Film School in 1990 or 1991, according to its blog.[5][6] Walsh is a Trustee of the Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation.[7][8]
Film[edit]
In 2010, Walsh stood as a Parliamentary candidate in the 2010 General Election and made the gonzo-style documentary feature film Tory Boy The Movie which was released in cinemas in 2011 and 2012.[9] The film follows Walsh as he becomes a Conservative candidate after a lifetime of voting Labour. In the film, he claims that Sir Stuart Bell, the Labour Party's MP in Middlesbrough, is absent so often from Middlesbrough that he is an unsuitable candidate.[10] According to Richard Moss, the political editor for BBC North East & Cumbria, "some silliness aside, it is a thought-provoking insight into the way our political system works or doesn't work on the ground."[11] It was subsequently nominated for the Grierson Awards for "Best Documentary on a Contemporary Theme".[12] The film received a re-release in cinemas in 2015 in the lead-up to the 2015 UK General Election.[13][14] The student union at Teesside University cancelled a screening of it in 2015.[15]
In 2014 Walsh's remastered version of the film Monarch was released.[16] The original negative for the film had been lost. The film starred late Irish stage and screen actor T. P. McKenna and Jean Marsh.[17] This subsequently led to cinema showing starting at the Tricycle Cinema.[18][19][20]
Television[edit]
In 2010, Walsh's five part BBC series on childhood homeless Sofa Surfers was nominated for the Social Award at the Rose d'Or Awards.[21]
The BAFTA-nominated 2010 film My Life: Karate Kids[22] for the first time[citation needed] tackled issues of bullying among disabled children. It was narrated by David Tennant.[23][24] This is also one of the most repeated documentaries in BBC history.[citation needed]
The Monte Carlo Golden Nymph Award nominated [25] BBC film Toy Soldiers, made in 2010 and screened in 2014, presented the point of view of the bereaved children of UK service personnel. Walsh discussed this on the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme.[26] According to the blog of the private medidcal service Dr Mortons, the film was mentioned positively by retired psychiatrist Geraldine Walford, who said it had been shown in schools across the country.[27] It was also nominated for Foundation Prix Jeunesse in 2012.[28][better source needed]
Walsh's three-part Grierson Trust-nominated BBC series Headhunting The Homeless was part of the BBC's 120 most treasured programmes of the first half of 2003 in the corporation's drive to convince its critics that the licence fee should not be abolished.[29] The Guardian described the series as "truly touching".[30] and also chose it as their Pick of the Day[31]
Walsh worked with charity boss Eva Hamilton again on her subsequent venture Key4Life and made a five-minute publicity film for them in December 2013 about their work with former young offenders.[32]
The BAFTA-nominated[33] and New York Film Festival-winning[34] Channel 4 series Don't Make Me Angry was about anger management.[35] This ran for two series.[36]
Walsh Bros Ltd.[edit]
Walsh founded his company in 1992.[37] Walsh Bros Ltd. was ranked in the Televisual Magazine's list of the top 100 independent film companies in the UK [38]
Ray & Diana Harryhausen Foundation[edit]
Walsh has been a Trustee of the Ray & Diana Harryhausen Foundation since 2014.[8] He first met with Ray Harryhausen in the late 1980s as a film student of the London Film School[39] and in 1990 wrote and directed a 15-minute documentary entitled Ray Harryhausen: Movement Into Life, narrated by Tom Baker.[40]
Walsh filmed and recorded commentary tracks with Ray Harryhausen in his London home commencing 17 May 2012.[41] Since that date recordings were made for Clash of The Titans, Mysterious Island, The 3 Worlds of Gulliver, First Men in the Moon with Randy Cook, The Valley of Gwangi with his daughter Vanessa Harryhausen, One Million Years B.C. with Martine Beswick, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad with fellow Trustee Caroline Munro, Mighty Joe Young with film director John Landis and Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger with SFX artist Colin Arthur.[42][43] Walsh donated the film and sound footage to the Ray & Diana Harryhausen Foundation[44] and they contain many new revelations by Ray on how his films were created and produced.
Writing and journalism[edit]
In additional to his film and TV screenplays, Walsh has written for various print and online publications on film history, politics and religion in The Daily Telegraph,[45] The Independent,[46] The Catholic Herald[47] and Conservative Home.[48] He contributed to the Titan Books title, Ray Harryhausen Poster Art Book, written by sci-fi journalist and author Richard Holliss.[49]
His first book Harryhausen: The Lost Movies was published 10 September 2019 by Titan Books[50]
His second book will be Flash Gordon: The Official Story of the Film was published in November 2020 by Titan Books[51]
Screen Rant announced the publication of Walsh’s next book, Escape From New York The Official Story of the Film, which will be published on September 28 by Titan Books[52]
Books[edit]
Year | Title | ISBN | Publisher | Awards / Nominations* |
---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | Escape From New York The Official Story of the Film | 978-1789095067 | Titan Books | |
2020 | Flash Gordon: The Official Story of the Film | 978-1-789-09506-7 | Titan Books | Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards* "Book of the Year" [53] |
2019 | Harryhausen: The Lost Movies | 978-1-789-09110-6 | Titan Books | Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards* "Book of the Year" [54] |
Filmography / Awards[edit]
Year | Title | Role | Film / television | Award / nomination* |
---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | Flash Gordon: The Official Story of the Film | Producer, director, writer | Documentary Series | Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards* "Book of the Year" [53] |
2019 | Harryhausen: The Lost Movies | Producer, director, writer | Documentary Series | Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards* "Book of the Year" [54] |
2016 - 2018 | The Ray Harryhausen Podcast | Originator, co-host | Radio series | Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards* "Best Multi-Media"[55] |
2016 | Jupiter Pluvius at the Tate[56] | Producer, director, writer | Documentary | |
2015 | ToryBoy The Movie (re-release) | Producer, director, writer | Feature film | Grierson Awards Best Documentary on a Contemporary Theme[57] |
2014 | Monarch (re-release) | Producer, director, writer, editor | Feature film | |
2014 | Monarch Restoring A King[58] | Producer, director, writer, editor | Documentary | |
2013 | Key 4 Life[32] | Producer, director, writer | 15-minute documentary | |
2012 | Blinding | Producer, director, writer | BBC documentary | |
2012 | ToryBoy The Aftermath | Producer, director, writer | Documentary | |
2011 | ToryBoy The Movie | Producer, director, writer | Feature film | Grierson Awards Best Documentary on a Contemporary Theme[57] |
2010 | Toy Soldiers[59] | Producer, director, writer | BBC documentary | Monte-Carlo Television Festival[60] and Prix Jeunesse Munich*[61] |
2009 | The Prime Minister's Global Fellowship | Producer, director, writer | Documentary for the British Council | |
2009 | My Life: Karate Kids[62] | Producer, director, writer | BBC documentary | BAFTA[63] |
2008 | Sofa Surfers[64][65][66] | Producer, director, writer | BBC documentary | Rose d'Or Social Award[67] |
2007 | Don't Make Me Angry - Series 2[68] | Producer, director, writer | Channel 4 documentary | New York Television Festival Best Young Adult Special Documentary Series[34] |
2006 | Don't Make Me Angry - Series 1[69] | Producer, director, writer | Channel 4 documentary | BAFTA[70] |
2003 | Headhunting The Homeless[29][71][72] | Producer, director, writer | BBC documentary | Grierson Awards Best Documentary Series[73] |
2001 | Nu Model Armi | Producer, director, writer | Channel 4 documentary | |
2001 | TREX2 | Producer, director, writer | Channel 5 documentary | |
2000 | TREX | Producer, director, writer | Channel 5 documentary | |
2000 | Monarch | Producer, director, writer, editor | Feature film | |
1999 | Cowboyz & Cowgirlz | Producer, director, writer | Channel 5 documentary | |
1998 | Boyz & Girlz : Greece | Producer, director, writer | Channel 5 documentary | |
1998 | Boyz & Girlz | Producer, director, writer | Channel 5 documentary | |
1991 | Masque of Draperie | Producer, director, writer, editor | Documentary | |
1990 | The Comedy Store | Producer, director, writer, editor | Documentary | |
1990 | The Sceptic and the Psychic | Producer, writer | Drama | |
1989 | Ray Harryhausen: Movement Into Life[74][75][39] | Producer, director, writer | 15-minute documentary | |
1989 | The Sleeper | Producer, director, writer, editor | Drama | |
1985 | A State of Mind | Producer, director, Writer, editor | Drama | Screen Test BBC Young Film Maker of the Year 1985*[76] |
References[edit]
- ^ "LFS News:".
- ^ "Walsh Bros". walshbros.co.uk.
- ^ "The Greenwich Visitor August 2016". content.yudu.com.
- ^ "Greenwich Visitor August 2016". Issuu.
- ^ John Walsh nominated for a BAFTA Children's Award for documentary 'My Life: Karate Kids' Today, LFS News: The London Film School News Blog, November 2010
- ^ John Walsh nominated for Rose D'Or Award for 'Sofa Surfers', LFS News: The London Film School News Blog, November 2010
- ^ "People | The Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation".
- ^ a b "OSCR | Page Not Found". www.oscr.org.uk. Cite uses generic title (help)
- ^ "ToryBoy visits the Frontline Club". Frontline Club.
- ^ "No surgeries for 14 years - is Sir Stuart Bell Britain's laziest MP?". The Independent. 31 October 2011.
- ^ "Tory Boy takes on Sir Stuart Bell in documentary film". BBC News.
- ^ "The Grierson Trust :: Shortlist - 2011". griersontrust.org. Archived from the original on 23 October 2014.
- ^ "Satirical film ToryBoy The Movie returns to big screen". The Irish Post.
- ^ "BAFTA-nominated Greenwich filmmaker's controversial ToryBoy returns to cinemas before election". News Shopper.
- ^ "Student Union involved in row over planned screening of controversial Toryboy the Movie". The North Crowd. 27 April 2015.
- ^ "Lost joys: Directors reveal searches for missing movies". BBC News.
- ^ "News in Canary Wharf | InYourArea". InYourArea.co.uk.
- ^ "Monarch - Tricycle". tricycle.co.uk.
- ^ "Critically acclaimed movie shot in Charlton set for high definition re-release". News Shopper.
- ^ "Rare TP McKenna film to be screened after original tapes recovered". The Irish Post.
- ^ "Rose d'Or nominations announced". realscreen.com.
- ^ "John Walsh nominated for a BAFTA Children's Award for documentary 'My Life: Karate Kids' | London Film School". lfs.org.uk.
- ^ "My Life - CBBC - BBC". www.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ https://www.david-tennant-news.com/tv-narration/my-life-karate-kids/
- ^ http://silverliningtv.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/My-Life-Brochure-2016.pdf
- ^ "audioBoom / Father's death 'took a chunk out of my heart'". audioBoom. March 2014. Archived from the original on 27 October 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
- ^ "Toy soldiers - childhood bereavement in the armed forces". Dr Morton's. "good to see this sensitive and crucially important topic being opened up for people to learn from."
- ^ https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1482&context=gs_rp
- ^ a b John Plunkett. "BBC list aims to win over critics". the Guardian.
- ^ "Television: The road less travelled". the Guardian. 18 May 2003.
- ^ "Television: Pick of the day". the Guardian. 7 May 2003.
- ^ a b Key4Life: the film, Key4Life.org.uk Archive 25 July 2018
- ^ "2006 Children's Learning - Secondary". BAFTA Awards. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ a b http://www.newyorkfestivals.com/tvfilm/main.php?p=3,1&wp=info&id=326439 Archived 16 December 2016
- ^ "Don't Make Me Angry - Series 1 (2005)".
- ^ "Don't Make Me Angry - Series 2 (2007)".
- ^ "WALSH BROS. LIMITED - Overview (free company information from Companies House)". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk.
- ^ "The UK's top 100 TV production companies". 5 September 2012.
- ^ a b "Ray Harryhausen and Me… » The Cinema Museum, London".
- ^ "Ray Harryhausen: The Centenary". SciFiNow. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
- ^ "Ray Harryhausen - The Official Website". rayharryhausen.com. Archived from the original on 24 March 2015.
- ^ "Podcasts | The Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation".
- ^ "Colin Arthur". Visegrad Film Forum.
- ^ "John Walsh | The Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation".
- ^ Walsh, John (15 August 2019). "From Godzilla-size chickens to a stop-motion Aeneid: the lost worlds of Ray Harryhausen" – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
- ^ "Molly Dineen: Notes from the underground". The Independent. 23 October 2011.
- ^ "John Walsh Archives".
- ^ "John Walsh". Conservative Home.
- ^ "Piecing together the story of Ray Harryhausen". Camden New Journal.
- ^ "Harryhausen: The Lost Movies". Titan Books.
- ^ "Flash Gordon: The Official Story of the Film by John Walsh". Penguin Random House Canada.
- ^ "Escape From New York: The Official Story of the Film Book Announced". ScreenRant. 27 April 2021.
- ^ a b "The Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards – Honoring the best in classic horror research, creativity and film preservation". rondoaward.com.
- ^ a b "HERE ARE THE WINNERS OF THE (GASP!) 18TH ANNUAL RONDO HATTON CLASSIC HORROR AWARDS – The Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards". rondoaward.com.
- ^ "Winners of the (Gasp!) 17th Annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards – The Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards". rondoaward.com.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 16 September 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2017.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ a b "The Grierson Trust - Shortlist". griersontrust.org.
- ^ "Monarch, Henry VIII, A John Walsh Film". www.monarchfilm.com.
- ^ "My Life". RadioTimes.
- ^ http://www.tvfestival.com/dan/2015/DOWNLOADS/2012/DP_FTV2012_UK_BD
- ^ http://www.prixjeunesse.de/themen/festival/2012/catalog/catalog_2012_web.pdf
- ^ "My Life: Karate Kids". David Tennant News.
- ^ "BAFTA Awards Search | BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org.
- ^ "LFS News:: June 2010". lfs.org.uk.
- ^ "Sofa Surfers". RadioTimes.
- ^ "Sofa Surfers - Groundbreaking BBC Documentary Series on Child Homelessness (print version)". www.whittington.nhs.uk.
- ^ "Rose d'Or nominations announced".
- ^ "Learning - Don't Make Me Angry". channel4learning.com. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
- ^ "Don't Make Me Angry". ClickView.
- ^ "BAFTA Awards Search | BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org.
- ^ "BBC - Press Office - Headhunting the Homeless". bbc.co.uk.
- ^ "Video title". OVGuide. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- ^ "The Grierson Trust - Winners". griersontrust.org.
- ^ "Ray Harryhausen: Movement Into Life (1990)". IMDb. 18 March 1990.
- ^ "Ray Harryhausen Movement into Life (1989)". BFI.
- ^ "Screen Test". 13 December 1984. p. 74 – via BBC Genome.
External links[edit]
- Walsh Bros Ltd. official site
- John Walsh at IMDb
- John Walsh on Twitter (official)
- Living people
- 20th-century British people
- British male writers
- British media company founders
- Alumni of the London Film School
- BBC people
- British documentary filmmakers
- Film directors from London
- English film producers
- English male screenwriters
- British television directors
- English television producers
- British film production company founders
- Male television writers
- Television show creators
- People from Greenwich
- Conservative Party (UK) parliamentary candidates
- 21st-century British screenwriters
- 21st-century English male writers